Paths
by Truest Tears
Summary: A young woman with the power to see the consequences of her actions contemplates a handsome stranger in a bar...And chooses her path.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men, Marvel does. Please do not use my original characters without e-mailing me about it beforehand, or asking for consent.

Author: Truest Tears

Feedback: Please!

Archive: Please, please notify me first.

Paths

I am standing at a crossroad, thought the woman.

What I do now will define my future. I will regret, or I will rejoice in my decision. I am standing at a fork, a point between two paths, and I must choose one way or the other.

Will I regret it, in days to come? Will I say that I was young and foolish, that I was careless and too carefree to see?

Perhaps.

We must all learn through our mistakes. They correct us, they punish us and they teach us.

Now here I am, and I must choose between two paths. Perhaps they are only small detours that meet in the same road later on. I am perhaps only postponing the inevitable now, as I turn away from the man at the bar and decide that I will not approach him.

I won't ask him if he'd like a cup of coffee, and then find more interesting things to say as the night wears on…

No, I'll take the other path.

I'll take the door.

But he is very handsome, I can see. If I do strike up a conversation one thing will lead to another, we could end up married.

Yes, we end up together, that much I can tell.

So I sigh, and pay, and get up to leave.

I have chosen a path.

I only hope that we meet on a different road, stranger.

I discovered that I could "see" what was to come when I was sixteen, when I picked up a match to light the oven. I was going to bake a cake, but then be called away. The oven would be left on for hours, and eventually the tea-towel leaning over the side would become overheated and burst into flames. Several of my roommates, who were sleeping off nightshifts, would be killed.

I would arrive home that night to nothing but a gaping hole of charred wood and burnt flesh, and I would be guilty for the rest of my life.

That was the first, and the deepest sight that I ever saw.

After that I did not look into the sights that I saw…never so deeply.

Instead I just grazed them, looking for small hints of what was to come.

That is what I did that night, looking at the well-built, muscled man with his chiseled features and long locks of auburn hair.

He was of transfixing beauty, and yet I knew the danger.

Just below the surface of what would start as a loving relationship there would be heartbreak.

That was something that I could never bear again.

So on that night I chose the door, a different path…

But inside I prayed that we would meet again.

A.N: If you liked it, please tell me and I will write more, like what happens later on and such. Please don't flame. It doesn't help.

And a special thanks goes out to giveGodtheglory for reviewing my first story, much appreciated!


	2. A Dangerous Road

Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own Marvel or the X-men. Please do not just steal my original characters, ask and I will probably lend them without a second thought. 

Author: Truest Tears

Feedback: Immensely craved and showered with undying gratitude!

Archive: Please, please ask first.

Paths

Chapter 2: A Dangerous Road

The air was contaminated with the smoke of the recent explosions. People ran madly for cover, knocking each other over in the process, desperate to get away from the danger.

Only one person remained in place. A woman.

Rooted by fear or by indecision?

She knew that someone was going to die that day, a young woman with brownish hair and a friendly smile, unless someone interfered.

They would all be fighting, paying no attention to the man with the gun, until a single shot rang out, and the young girl crumpled.

I quickly slipped through the throngs of wild people, edging towards the building. There was a fire escape that led up to the fifth floor, but I "saw" that a burst of lightning would suddenly hit it and I would be killed before I reached the fifth floor.

That morning while getting dressed she had seen that something was going to happen where it would be best to have comfortable, practical clothes and shoes, so she had worn army-green leggings with a slim brown belt, a sleeveless blouse and a jacket. I had also tied up my hair into a French braid.

I slipped through an emergency exit and climbed the stairs two at a time, heading for the top floor where the fight was.

When I reached it, slightly breathless I saw that there had been considerable damage done to the surrounding walls and floors.

Hurrying through mounds of rubble and chunks of broken plaster I reached a door. Through a small window I could see the fight taking place.

In a corner I spotted the girl who was going to die.

She had a quite unmistakable face, even though now she was not smiling as she concentrated on beating up a man dressed completely in black.

I put my hand on the doorknob and "saw" that if I crawled quietly I would not be detected, until I came to where the man was with the gun.

Approaching quietly, I picked up a spare piece of wood that had been blown off of the ceiling and crept up behind him. I raised it above my head and brought it down with all the force that I could muster.

He crumpled silently.

But then I got another vision, and I looked up in time to see a spike being thrown at the brown-haired girl.

"Kitty, phase!" I yelled, the first words that came to mind.

The girl suddenly went translucent, and the spike passed right through her without leaving a scratch.

But I had known, all along…

It was either her or me.

As I had stood below on the streets I had "seen" that either I or Kitty would die that day, and that absolutely nothing could stop it.

I was going to die.

The metal spike whizzed through the air, headed directly for me, and I closed my eyes, and looked at my death.

It would be quick and clean. There would be little blood, and I would only feel one very sharp jab of pain, before the world went extremely light, and the air filled with golden rays—

I was yanked to the side so viciously that my neck snapped. I landed heavily on a pile of very sharp, broken pieces of cement and opened my eyes, gasping at the stars that danced mockingly in front of my face.

After the light that I had experienced the world seemed very dark.

I looked up to see that the brown-haired girl was standing there in her normal form, her intelligent eyes filled with worry.

Other people were beginning to gather around.

There was a man with sunglasses, a woman with very red hair, and a few other faces, but when I looked directly up I almost smiled, that bittersweet smile.

I knew that whatever was coming was going to hurt.

I knew that there would be unbearable heartbreak.

I had known that we would meet again.

So as I closed my eyes and gave in to a severe, deep darkness I wasn't completely worried about the pain in my head, but the one that would be caused to my heart, and I couldn't help but shed a tear as I "saw" a glimpse of what was coming.

I had chosen a different path, to avoid this, but we had met up on a larger road. A more dangerous one.

And the last words I heard as I banished the sight, to rest myself for the heartache to come, was "It's okay, chere. 'M here."

A.N: If you're still interested in this story please don't hesitate to say so. I am more than glad to keep on going if I know that you are still reading.

A special thanks goes to Harry2 for his/her comment. Thank you!


	3. Strange New Friends

Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel or the X-men. Please do not use my original characters without permission. I will grant it to you if you just ask.

Author: Truest Tears

Feedback: As usual, yesss!

Archive: Please, please ask first.

Paths

Chapter 3: Strange New Friends

If I opened my eyes I would see that I was in a type of lab, and if I kept them closed and dozed off again a large, menacing blue monster would tip-toe into the room on padded feet and adjust the machinery around me.

I snapped my eyes open and sat up, at the same time biting back a cry at the sharp pain that raced through my neck. I should have "seen" that coming.

I lay back down and noticed that I had a neck-brace on, and that parts of my spine were bruised.

As I adjusted my memory, seeking tidbits of information of just exactly what had happened I remembered Kitty, and the spike, and then I remembered being pulled out of the way, and my neck snapping.

And the stranger.

I closed my eyes. There would be a lot of pain. Something was going to happen. Perhaps nothing that I could do would ever change the inevitable.

But then again, hadn't it been inevitable that I die?

I was saved by a freak of destiny.

I had "seen" my death, as clear as day. I had almost experienced it, and then that stranger had jumped in and snatched me out of fate's grasp.

Before I could further contemplate my gift, what it had shown me and the contradictory actions that had just taken place my stomach rumbled suddenly, reminding me that I had probably been unconscious for a while, and that it was only natural that I eat.

This time I got up very slowly and cautiously, swinging my legs over the side of the bed as gently as possible, with one hand supporting my neck and shoulder and the other grasping the metal railing at the side of the bed.

I got up, still carefully, and inched my way, tottering rather unsteadily, towards the door.

I "saw" that the big, blue, furry monster was about to enter at any moment.

It was at that time that all caution I had been exercising vanished, and I shrieked as the doorknob turned.

The door was pushed open suddenly as the monster popped his head in and exclaimed "Oh my stars and garters—is everything alright?"

I managed to shake my head, and then nod it. He appeared to be harmless. He was of menacing size, with huge paws and thick hair covering his entire body, but I noticed that he wore a lab coat and spectacles.

"Oh, well, I'm glad to see that you are awake, my dear. I must express the uttermost gratitude to you for saving Katherine's life."

I nodded. "Thank you, but who saved mine?"

"That was Remy LeBeau. He is a resident of this…school. A type of teacher."

I couldn't help but feel that this was more than a "school." A single glance around me showed that the machines and charts that adorned the room were of much more advanced technology than any college or university could afford, unless it specialized in science.

"What kind of school is this?"

Immediately after asking the question, I "saw" the hesitant answer.

"Yes, for mutants," I stated before he could answer.

He frowned. "How did you know?"

"I have the power to, well, kind of have visions of what is going to happen. Mostly they are very small, some are just little feelings, and others span out to events that will happen hours after I have them."

"That certainly explains how you were able to save Kitty. But tell me, did you not see that the spike was going to hit you, or did you also see that Remy would interfere?"

I opened my mouth to answer, then closed it. It was so difficult to explain.

"No…I didn't see him. I thought I was going to die."

"Well, you are still here," he said sympathetically. "Now come, you must be starving. I apologize for Remy's…rather brutal rescue. He managed to pull some muscles quite severely in your neck and shoulder, which is why for the time being you will be supplied with a brace. It should be off in a few weeks. From there we can start a few training programs to gradually exercise the muscles and tendons until they are again strong and ready for use."

While he was talking he had passed me a white linen robe and had headed out the door.

"Wait, you said training programs?"

"Yes, to help the muscles. They will include such exercises as yoga, pilates, some vigorous massages and stretching—"

"Yes, but what I meant was, if I'm going to be in your programs then you expect me to stay here?"

I again "saw" the answer.

"So you want to recruit me?"

"Oh, um, well of course, this would be entirely your decision, and only once you were a hundred percent certain that it was what you wanted. But you see, this, being a school for mutants, dedicates itself to seeing to the needs of mutants, and to protecting them. Such are the dangers of the world to mutants, such as yourself, that it could well be safer if you were to reside here."

"I understand," I said simply.

We had been walking down a long hall, and finally we entered a kitchen.

It was a spacious room with a table set up on one side, and cupboards, a six-burner stove, a fridge, a microwave and an assortment of appliances and foods on the other side.

There was also a window that allowed a nice view of trimmed lawns and a pool, with a small forest as a background.

"I'm afraid to say that this is mostly a fend-for-yourself type of kitchen. The last cook resigned, and lunch has not been made yet, but there are quite a few things around here…I hope you can cook."

I smiled slightly at that. "I think I can manage," I said.

"Alright then, ma'am, I shall leave you then. Soon another mutant, a woman named Ororo, will show you around the place. By the way, I did not inquire as to your name?"

"Addie," I said simply, not bothering to add a surname. "And you are?"

"Hank. Henry McCoy. Here I am also known as the Beast, for…obvious reasons." He gestured at the mounds of bright blue hair and his massive structure and I nodded.

"Well, thank you for your time. It's been nice meeting you."

As Hank retreated I looked around the kitchen.

Yes, I could certainly cook.

The first person to notice the lovely smells wafting around the mansion was a middle-aged man, incredibly muscled with at least two day's beard and sideburns, who walked in with a cautious prowl, obviously attracted to the odors of fried bacon, cheese and egg omelet, blueberry muffins already in the oven and a fruit juice cocktail.

I hadn't mentioned it to Hank, but I worked as a cook in Bohemian Spice, a rather expensive but completely worth it restaurant down-town.

I had studied cooking after finishing school, as well as having cooked my way through life.

It was also good that I could use my "sight" to see how a meal was going to turn out.

I quickly dished a hefty amount of food onto two plates, then put it on the kitchen table.

"Have a seat," said, calmly reaching into the oven to check on the muffins, and pouring a glass of juice out into a tall glass with ice-cubes.

He raised an eyebrow, but sat. I put down a knife and fork, and, like any hungry man that needed to eat like a bear just to maintain his sugar level, he dug in.

"Seeing" the questions that he was about to ask me, quickly said "My name's Addie, I can see the future, so to say and I know that the food is 'great.'"

He looked at me in surprise and I smiled.

"I know, it's a nosy gift to have. Quite unnerving, but you get used to it. Here, the muffins are ready."

I put three beside his plate, and wondered when he would find his voice.

He narrowed his eyes, as though really thinking what to say, then gave me a slight grin.

"Welcome to the X-men, Addie."

I had known right away that this man would be my friend, and that when the terrible time came that I would have to experience that pain, he would be there. He would be a friend when I needed one.

That's all I needed to "see" to know that Logan was one person I never needed to push away.

We would never have more than a father-daughter relationship, but he would never hurt me.

But, inevitably, the mysteriously handsome Remy LeBeau would.

A.N: Okay, if this still holds your interest please just leave a little review with your thoughts and ideas.

A special thanks goes to telegb and giveGodtheglory for their nice reviews. Thanks guys!

P.S. yes, I _know_ the chapters are short! (In response to a comment by my sister.) Humph, I'm not a typing machine you know. But don't worry, as time goes by they will get longer.


	4. Seeing Beyond

"I'm sorry I took so long," said a woman I presumed to be Ororo, as she entered the kitchen.

"There was a dispute among the students and I had to settle it out." She took a seat next to Logan, and I noticed the quiet look that passed between them.

"Did ya manage to settle it?" asked Logan, offering her a muffin.

"Not quite," she paused to take a bite. "But Gambit made short work of it. He managed to convince Pyro to not harm Kitty…and vice versa. I still don't know what has gotten into those two, but ever since John got that letter from home they have been constantly arguing."

Logan smirked slightly. "Trust those kids to get into trouble."

As I rinsed some dishes at the sink I took the time to think about Logan and the immaculate but charming Ororo.

They would probably make a nice couple. I had to smile as I "saw" the surprises that awaited them in the future as they discovered each other and their mutual love.

My smile immediately faded as I caught "sight" of Ororo saying "Hello, Remy. Take a seat, these muffins are delicious."

I spun around and faced the doorway.

Logan saw my precocious stance and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Expecting someone, darlin'?"

"Yes," I answered simply. I had nothing to hide from this man. It was "Gambit" that I was worried about.

Judging by his name, he was used to throwing chance around like it was a basketball, and judging by the pain he was going to cause me he was a heart-breaker as well as being careless…and probably selfish.

I narrowed my eyes as I saw the shadow of a figure approaching, and then sucked in my breath as a vision assaulted me.

This time I did not "see" what was going to happen. I felt it.

It was a pain so deep and endless that I could not help but cry out as I sank to the floor, the cold tiles reaching up to greet me as I fell into a protective, crouched position, tears springing uncalled to my eyes.

I gasped, more and more tears gathering in my eyes and streaming down my face as the pain kept on going. I couldn't breath, the emotional pain was too much, too great and overwhelming.

Both Remy and Logan were by my side and Ororo was making an emergency call to Hank over the intercom.

As I looked up into red-on-black eyes, the tears still coursing down my face, I cried out in unleashed agony.

"What will you do to me, Remy!"

Then my eyes closed, and my mind began to go black from exhaustion.

But before I gave in completely to the darkness I heard Logan say,

"If you ever hurt her, I'll kill you."

And my last thoughts were "Oh stranger, I only wish that you will heed Wolverine's warning."

I awoke some hours later when Hank entered the room I was sleeping in.

It was a nice room, with beige and very light pastel green walls, darker green paint on the balcony doors and simple but tasteful décor.

The bed was soft and cozy and I felt rested, even though I knew that my eyes must look red and swollen.

"Well, my friend, I see that you have had a rather hard time with your powers. How are you feeling right now?"

I saw that he was carrying a medical kit, and he opened it to retrieve a little flashlight and a bottle of pills.

He quickly shone the light in both my eyes, then handed me the bottle of pills.

"These will help you sleep," he explained hastily, putting them on the side-table next to the bed.

"What are they?" I asked, and tried to "look" into the future to "see" what he was going to say.

I yelped as a sudden pain shot through my head, leaving my whole skull tingling.

"It is for when you attempt to do something like that and the pain proves to be too much. I will explain," he added hastily as I glared at him.

"When you were in the kitchen and tried to predict the future you went too far and too deep, and for some reason you…" he paused, searching for a word. "Well, short-circuited your system, for lack of a better phrase. You now have no control over your abilities. I am afraid that if you attempt to use them you could, besides suffer a great deal of pain, also inflict brain damage on yourself."

I felt the horror of the situation creeping up on me, even as the pain throbbed in my head.

It was something that I feared…not being able to see beyond, not knowing what was going to happen next.

I closed my eyes and leaned back, seeing in my mind the car as it braked suddenly, skidding on the road, even as it hit them, crushing them to pieces. I remembered crying out to them, screaming insanely for them not to leave me, hugging their lifeless bodies before I was dragged away.

And even as I closed my eyes, once again filled with tears of remembrance, I closed my inner "eyes."

I would no longer be able to see beyond.

I no longer had the future.

All I had was a pain-filled past.

"I'm sorry," I heard Hank say.

When I didn't answer he left the room, creeping silently out on blue-furred padded feet.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

My parents had died when I was thirteen.

They were actually my foster parents, and I had loved them dearly.

Three years later when I discovered my powers I had been overwhelmed with guilt that I had not gotten them sooner, and so have been able to predict the speeding car that had hit them.

It had been my fault.

We had gone to a restaurant to celebrate my mother's birthday, and my parents had consumed rather more than their share of red wine.

Finally we had decided to leave, and to take a short-cut we had crossed a dark, near-empty road.

I had been trailing behind because I had been angry over something…

Ah, yes, that we were going to give one of our neighbors our kitten, because my father was allergic to them.

I had looked up, in time to see the car brake, but still barrel forward and kill the only people I had ever known to call parents.

The paramedics had had to use brute force to take me away from them. I had known right away that they were dead, but for the life of me I would not let them go.

After going to alternate sessions of therapy and psychological meetings I had managed, to a certain degree, to heal, but I was only ever at peace after I developed my powers and learnt to always be able to see what was coming…to never have to cross dark roads…never be hit by a speeding car, and never lose those that I loved.

Lying in the bed, I had lost track of time, and I could not remember if I was hungry or not.

I had been too busy cooking before to eat; now I had been sleeping for some time, and now I was drifting off again.

I didn't care.

I could no longer see. That hurt more than anything.

I could no longer see what would happen to me and Remy. And right now I could no longer care.


	5. Other Paths

Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own the X-men. To the best of my knowledge, Marvel still does.

**Other Paths **

"Good morning, I was wondering if I could interest you in waking up?" asked a polite voice.

Hank's, she guessed.

"What time is it?" she managed to moan.

"Noon. I was so hoping that you would agree to some new tests, just…oh, well, to make sure—to make certain that everything is…alright."

"Just get to the point, Hank," she muttered, throwing off the covers and getting up, wincingly slightly as she put a hand up to her head.

"I feel funny," she said, before falling back down on the bed. "There's no need for tests. I've lost my powers, and that is final. That's all there is to it."

"Well…no. It is a bit more serious than that."

Addie jerked her head up. "Make yourself clear."

"Well, when you were in the kitchen…something happened. I am not at all certain what. But you and Remy….switched powers."

"What!"

"I know, it is very peculiar, and I have never seen it before, but somehow you did."

"Oh no, oh no. This is what I saw! Something very bad!" she wrung her hands as she got up, lightheaded but to agitated to sit down.

"Hank, what powers does Remy has?"

"Well, as far as I know he has the ability to produce kinetic energy to charge objects that explode on contact, and a very low level or empathy, or charm power, and perhaps a very low level of telepathy. That would explain why he has very strong mental shields."

"Yes, and he has been learning to control these powers since he first developed them, many years ago, right?"

"Correct."

"This is bad," she kept on pacing. "This is very bad, Hank. By the way, what is charm power?"

Oh my goodness! She was sure of it, under the heavy layers of blue fur Hank had blushed.

"Well, Addie, it is the power to seduce." The Beast quickly busied himself straightening his spectacles, then looked down at a clipboard in his hands.

"If you'd be so kind as to follow me this way, I have some tests I'd like to perform."

Addie nodded, realization sinking in as she followed Hank down the hallways and towards the lab. Now, a great part of that sexy Cajun charm, was hers!

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Now please calm down, my friend. I assure you that this was an accident. Nobody planned to steal your powers, it was merely an unfortunate exchange…perhaps a part of Addie's powers."

Gambit was practically seething, red eyes glowing like coals as he spluttered in French, trying to get a hold on himself. "Accident, Ha! Dis is an outrage!"

"Yes, my friend, but please, calm down, I may be able to help you. I must take a recording of your brain-wave activity, then perhaps a blood test, to assure myself that all is in order…" Hank was already bustling around his lab, preparing syringes and machines.

"Dere's nobody gonna take a bloody blood test outta me, so figget' it, Hank. You can keep y' damn tests. Dere's a simpler answer out of this."

The angry Cajun turned to Addie. "Okay, chere," his menacing, reddish eyes scared her as she glazed at her with cool anger. "Where did you put them?"

"Put what?"

"Don' play funny. My powers. Y' got twenty seconds."

A.N: Just a little something to keep readers satisfied. Umm, more on the way, promise, promise.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel or its X-men, or any of the X-men characters. I do, however, own Addie. Please don't just use her without asking, thanks!

Well…here I am again. After this long while, I finally read my own fan-fiction, and decided that it was good enough to continue. What do you think?

As always reviews are accepted with undying gratitude.

Paths

"I…I haven't got them."

"Non? Well, y' hands are glowing like y' have, chere. Time to give 'em back, I say."

Addie looked down and screamed. Her hands were glowing bright pink!

Frantically, she waved them around, wrung them together, shook them and danced around the room. "Hank, do something!" she called at the stupefied doctor.

Remy tried to keep a straight face. After all, he did want to appear angry, but his amusement faded after a while when he noticed that the young woman's distress was real as she tried to make his power go away. He knew the feeling when you saw your own flesh light up, and start to glow like a torch…and he also knew what happened when you touched something, and then it exploded.

"Okay, we better take dis outside," he said calmly, grasping Addie by the collar he stopped her in her tracks and led her outside.

They were standing on the lawn beside the pool, and Addie had calmed down somewhat, though she was still moving her hands and hyperventilating as the pink glow increased.

"Hum. I tink it be better if you jus' blow somet'ing up. Maybe a tree." Careful not to touch her directly he began to lead her towards the woods.

"Wait. Wait!" she shouted, struggling to free herself.

"Jus' keep moving. We haven' got time. Y' about to blow sometin up right now. I prefer if you just charge a tree, 'stead of moi."

She tripped on a root. He quickly steadied her, but he had let go of her elbow in doing so, and she pulled out of the way. "I'm not blowing anything up. Are you crazy! Now get your hands off of me!"

She spun on her heels and was about to storm away, when she suddenly fell to the forest floor and clutched her head, crying out in pain. Gambit watched in horror as her eyes suddenly glazed over, her normal, greenish ones replaced by orbs of red on black. She fell forward and her hands dug into the dirt.

Remy leapt forward, grabbed her around the waist and jumped behind a tree, just as the ground exploded.

He wasn't quick enough. They both slipped down into an enormous hole created by the explosion, slipping down into the crater. He hugged Addie tightly as they fell.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

There is a feeling of déjà vu in the air. Like this was destined to happen. If I had had my power, I would have known what was about to happen, and I would have stopped it, but as it is, you have my power, Remy. You didn't use it though, did you? No, we're still falling. Ah! The ground. Yes, it finally meets us. I'm surprised that you take most of the brunt of the fall. You are supposed to be angry at me, are you not?

I've still hurt my arm. It hit a rock and I believe it is broken. Not that that matters so much, when I feel all the earth falling on top of us. The ground has caved in and we are trapped. But you haven't let me go. I can feel myself dying, but having a pair of arms wrapped around me is a comfort in this time.

Time.

It doesn't really mean much now. I stopped breathing quite a while ago. I suppose you have too. Have you not? The earth is too heavy and I cannot move to feel if you are still alive. I hope that you are.

Somehow, in the darkness, I can see my parents crossing a road and getting hit by a car, but as I run up to their lifeless bodies they open their eyes and look at me, and my father shakes his head.

"Too soon," he says. "Much too soon, my dear. You just get back where you belong and go and save that young man, hear me?"

But my mother looks at me pleadingly. "It's been so long. Oh my darling, stay with us."

"No," interrupts my father. "Go. You heard me, I said go!"

"I'm…I'm sorry, mom. But anytime now…okay?" I lean down and drop a kiss on her forehead, then the vision changes to a smoky barroom, with people playing cards and pool, and drinking. And there, in all his charming apparel, is Remy.

"Hello," I say, and smile. He looks cross. He flicks a card at me. I manage to catch it.

"Joker? For a minute there I thought I was your Queen of Hearts."

He just smiles, and the card changes. It has a large number ten on it.

I smile back, and pocket the card. "I guess I'm not your Queen, after all."

"Non. You have to prove your worth first. Dis no way to prove it." He gestures around the bar, and suddenly it turns into a big pit of dirt and rocks, then the ground collapses around him, and Remy falls through.

"No!" I scream, and jump in after him. The ground closes, and I am left standing there. My arm hurts.

I have to save him. My hands begin to burn, and I hold them up. They're bright pink, an interesting shade of fuchsia.

Suddenly, everything around me is the same color as my hands. I crouch into a ball, waiting for it all to explode.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

""Don' play funny. My powers. Y' got twenty seconds."

"What?" she blinked, confused.

Remy took a step back, panic on his face as he whirled around as though to run, and banged into the nearest wall.

"What in heavens is wrong with you two?" Hank managed to ask.

Remy cradled his bruised nose as he looked at Addie.

"S' dat's what it feels like?" he asked her.

She nodded.

"Yes, that's a pretty normal vision, now tell me why we both saw it?"

"Please explain," broke in Hank.

Addie turned towards him. Her green eyes focused on the Beast, and she opened her mouth to tell him…

Then she noticed something rather peculiar about herself.

Her hands were glowing pink.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

The explanations had been slurred and hurried, the Beast immediately leading her to his lab at a gallop, forcing her to sit on a table as he put a helmet on her head, took a blood sample and turned on some machines.

The general uproar immediately doubled when the table that she was sitting on turned pink as well. Hank stuck a needle in her, and typed some commands into the computer.

Next it was the walls.

Like a great pink wave, the kinetic energy crept up to the ceiling. It seemed to have enveloped Addie. Even her hair was alive with it…strands became separate from the rest, and danced around her head, curling into knots, sparkling.

Never before had Remy seen anything like it, and he felt helpless as he stood, mouth agape, watching the amazing display.

It was when he "saw" what would be left of the mansion in a matter of seconds more, that he took action.

Her head had begun to ache, but now it rang, as though someone had stuck a portable siren in it, and broken the switch. She couldn't turn the pain off, or the power that leaked from her hands.

Her eyes ached unbearably, and she closed them, falling back as she felt the strength leave her body…it was all on the walls, the furniture, the ceiling.

Her mother reached out to her…and her father did, too, this time.

"It's okay, Addie, we forgive you," he said. "Don't be scared. Come home with us, it's okay now."

They reached out their hands, and touched her face, like they used to when she was a girl, lying in bed waiting to be tucked in. She remembered how she had played a game, were when her mother came in she would say goodnight and get a kiss, but then she would leave the covers ruffled and disorderly, so that when her father walked by he would stop and tuck her in as well.

She was startled when her parents' hands were ice cold when they touched her. Without wanting to, she shrank back…and opened her eyes…

She was looking into her own eyes, but framed in a different face.

In Remy's face.

He was holding her hand.

This wasn't right.

"Let me go," she said softly.

"Non, not dis time p'tite," was all he said.

Then a brilliant shade of white flashed in her eyes, and then it was alright.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"I still don't understand," said Storm's voice. "What happened…?"

"It's quite simple," said Hank. "Addie couldn't control the full extent of Remy's powers, and therefore allowed them to spread onto every available solid surface—she had successfully charged a quarter of the mansion, when Remy stepped in and absorbed the charge. How he did that, I am not sure. The only thing that is evident as of late is that they have crisscrossed their powers, which has added greatly to their potential."

"But how is Remy?" broke in Jean.

"He is fine, in recovery," answered the Beast.

"It is Addie who suffered the most. She will have to be bed-ridden for a few days due to rather severe mental stress. I still cannot ensure that she will have any powers at all."

Logan, leaning against a wall chewing a cigar, looked up then.

"I still can't see how they switched powers, Hank."

"I'm afraid that neither can I," answered the doctor, scratching his furry blue head.

"The only thing that is obvious at this moment is that they will have to tutor each other in the use of their powers. Else we could be facing some serious consequences."

Jean nodded, for a moment looking up at the medical bay, imagining it for a moment encased in fuchsia-bright light, ready to explode.

They had been very close to losing a great deal.

"Damn!" said an angry voice, and the group turned to see a bewildered Cajun struggling up from a medical bed.

"Yah, I kno' what y' gonna ask me…and I wanna ask de same. What in hell happened to me eyes?"

A.N.: Sorry for the huge delay in updating, and the terrible quality of this chapter. This particular chapter is dedicated to Kiersten, or &&your my world, for being a good friend when I needed one. Thanks.


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